‘Hope yet for our youth’

The Editor: The West Indies team just lost two consecutive Tests, bush fires are ravaging our mountains, SARS is in the world and children are being made to pay adult prices at cinemas. No, your eyes have not deceived you.

I was intrigued by the headline in the Newsday, “Children angry over being asked to pay adult price to see movie” and decided to read the letter to the editor knowing fully well that I would never get back that five minutes of my life.  For those who weren’t as curious, the story goes something like this: two children aged 11 and 14 go to see a movie with their father who happens to be an attorney and they are made to pay the price for adults ($3 extra).  The children then threaten to sue the management of two cinemas for false advertising and breach of their rights as children under the Children’s Act since they do still consider themselves “children”.

I have to admit though, at first I approached the letter with a closed mind and maybe even some cynicism as I simply saw it as comic relief. I just could not see the travesty in having to pay a mere $3 more on a movie ticket. However, as I read on, I began to see the bigger picture and it occurred to me that perhaps this letter was not as trivial as I had first thought. Turns out it was a clear case of individuals standing up for their rights, something us Trinis either don’t like to do, can’t be bothered to do or are not adequately informed to do. 

Imagine a representative from the cinema commenting that the pricing structure at cinemas has been the same way “ever since” throughout the country. In other words, never mind the false advertising (us Trinis should be accustomed to that by now, because it’s been so “ever since”) and never mind the breaching of children’s rights either.  Such a comment only serves to cement my opinion that we have become a land where ignorance (literal and Trini meaning) abounds in most of our people and indifference rules. To Kieon and Daniella O’Connor, I commend you for taking a stand and good luck with your suit. Perhaps there is hope yet for our youth.

Denise S C Hendrie
Diego Martin